Internship Program Goals, Objectives, and Competencies
Goal 1: Professional Competence
Objective 1: Demonstrate Proficiency in Application of Ethical and Legal
Standards
Competencies
 *Utilize ethical decision making through advanced knowledge of
and adherence to appropriate ethical and legal standards
 *Demonstrate effective use of supervision and consultation to
explore ethical concerns
Objective 2: Demonstrate Proficiency in Self-Awareness and Reflection
Competencies
 *Recognize one’s strengths, weaknesses, and limits
 *Demonstrate openness to self-reflection of how cultural and
diversity issues influence one’s self as a therapist
 Develop the ability for self-reflection in a professional context in
order to make decisions about how to best function in that
setting
Objective 3: Exhibit Development of Professional Identity
Competencies
 *Increase autonomy and confidence in handling a wide array of
clinical situations, moving from external supervision to selfsupervision
 Establish a sense of identity as a part of a professional
community and understand the importance of participation in its
organizations
 Learn strategies for establishing a balance of personal and
professional life and general self-care
 Develop a base of knowledge of the psychology job market and
licensure process
Objective 4: Exhibit Ability to Function in a Professional Setting
Competencies
 *Conform to organizational norms of attire, grooming, and
deportment
 *Maintain professional standards of communication and
interpersonal behavior
 *Perform all required and expected professional responsibilities
 *Manage personal commitments and stress in such a way as to
prevent interference with professional functioning
 *Behave in accordance with the professional standards
expectations of the training program
 *Utilize feedback received from clients, supervisors, and
supervisees to continuously develop professional effectiveness

Demonstrate the ability to participate in and utilize both formal
and informal evaluation procedures to improve organizational
functioning and effectiveness
Goal 2: General Clinical Competence
Objective 1: Demonstrate proficiency in individual therapy
Competencies
 *Utilize relationship building skills in order to facilitate a strong
working alliance with clients
 *Demonstrate understanding, acceptance, and empathic
reflection
 *Demonstrate the ability to engage in exploration of history,
beliefs and feelings
 *Demonstrate skills in developing and articulating accurate
conceptualization of client problem
 *Demonstrate proficiency in the implementation of appropriate
problem interventions
 *Demonstrate skills in effectively concluding and terminating
counseling
 *Demonstrate the ability to engage in the appropriate
documentation of counseling sessions
Objective 2: Demonstrate proficiency in clinical assessment and treatment
planning
Competencies:
 *Demonstrate proficiency in conducting screening intakes
 *Demonstrate skills in conducting clinical interviews
 Engage in administering assessment instruments and
demonstrate knowledge of selecting appropriate instruments,
scoring, and interpretation
 *Demonstrate the ability to articulate an adequate initial
formulation, including diagnostic impression as appropriate
 *Identify appropriate counseling modality(ies) and approach(es)
to be used, or identifying other appropriate outside resources
 Demonstrate the ability to summarize findings accurately,
thoroughly, and concisely in writing
Objective 3: Demonstrate proficiency in crisis intervention
Competencies
 Demonstrate the ability to maintain a calm, detached focus on
crisis situation
 *Demonstrate skills in identifying the nature of problem that led
to the crisis
 Demonstrate the ability to identify resources both internal to the
client and external resources to help the client manage the crisis
situation

*Demonstrate the ability to Identify appropriate action plan for
crisis resolution
 *Demonstrate follow through to ensure that the crisis is resolved
appropriately and sufficiently
 *Demonstrate skills in documentation of crisis session, including
appropriate documentation of ethical issues and risk
Objective 4: Demonstrate proficiency in group therapy
Competencies:
 *Demonstrate the ability to select appropriate members for
groups
 *Demonstrate the ability to orient and prepare clients for
participation in group, including guidelines, norms, expectations,
and benefits of group
 *Demonstrate skills in attending to group process observing
both individual indicators of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors,
as well as overall group dynamics
 *Demonstrate the ability to use appropriate group level
interventions to facilitate client growth and group process
 Demonstrate the ability to share group leadership in a balanced
manner with co-leader
 Demonstrate the ability to appropriately conclude and terminate
group (individual member terminations during the semester and
for the group as a whole at the end of the semester as
appropriate)
 Demonstrate the ability to appropriately document group
counseling on the group and individual level in a timely manner
Objective 5: Demonstrate proficiency in vocational assessment and counseling
Competencies:
 Demonstrate proficiency in administering and interpreting
vocational assessment instruments
 Demonstrate the ability to administer and facilitate vocational
exploration and life planning exercises
 Demonstrate skills in helping clients explore their personal
educational and work history
 Develop knowledge of and utilize occupational exploration
resources
 *Integrate vocational assessment and counseling skills in the
successful leadership of Career Exploration Workshop
Objective 6: Demonstrate proficiency in supervision
Competencies
 *Demonstrate the ability to create a safe supportive supervision
environment in order to develop an alliance with supervisee
 Collaboratively develop training goals with the trainees and
monitor training goals throughout supervision

*Demonstrate the ability to use appropriate methods of case
review, suggestions of counseling techniques, application of
theory, and ongoing assessment of client progress
 *Demonstrate skills in reviewing session videos and providing
specific feedback that promotes trainee development
 Demonstrate understanding of how to promote supervisee’s
professional development through exploration of professional
issues
Objective 7: Demonstrate proficiency in consultation and outreach
Competencies:
 Engage in consultation with CCS staff, trainees, concerned
others, or other university constituents. Demonstrate the ability
to explore the consultee’s concern
 Demonstrate skills in providing clarification of consultee’s
concern and provide appropriate information or explore
alternative solutions
 Engage in gathering appropriate psychoeducational resources
on outreach topics that are informative and impactful
 *Develop and implement outreach programs on
psychoeducational topics designed to reach a target audience
 *Demonstrate the ability to design effective outreach displays in
order to educate and promote awareness of mental health
issues on campus
Goal 3: Multicultural Competence
Objective 1: Demonstrate an understanding of multicultural and diversity issues
and how those issues relate to the counseling process
Competencies:
 *Identifies attitudes, beliefs, and biases about own and others’
cultural identities and behavior
 *Seeks knowledge and understanding of the cultural
experiences and perspectives relevant to the client population
 *Develops sensitivity to the impact of cultural diversity on
interpersonal dynamics in the therapy setting
Objective 2: Demonstrate proficiency in addressing multicultural issues in
counseling practice
Competencies:
 *Demonstrate openness and willingness to discuss multicultural
issues in supervision
 *Demonstrate empathic understanding and acceptance of
clients’ cultural experience
 Process intercultural differences with respect and skill
 Recognize when cultural factors may be impeding counseling,
and address the problem appropriately
Goal 4: Integration of Science into Practice
Objective 1: Apply a variety of theoretical models and techniques into clinical
practice, drawing from a range of established methodologies in the field
Competencies:
 Demonstrate breadth of understanding of theory
 *Demonstrate application of theory to case formulation and
interventions
 *Demonstrate knowledge of and application of approaches
rooted in evidence based practice
Objective 2: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the applied psychology literature
Competencies:
 *Demonstrate understanding of scholarship and research in
applied psychology
 Use professional literature to guide development of practice
competence
* Indicates “essential” competency as relevant to internship passing requirements and
evaluation of competencies